Fixes for Continuing Story
by hecalledmecarrots
Summary: FILM UNIVERSE AU: Anyone who knows me, knows I'm no fan of The Continuing Story, honestly good points are Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, Schuyler Grant and Greg Spottiswood... The few scenes Anne has with Gilbert are magical but I think thats the actors carrying the script... So here are a few ideas where I think maybe I may have preferred the story to go.
1. Alternative 1

Alternative 1

I walk onto a large field… well what would have been maybe a park in front of a town hall once upon a time , you never would have guessed it now, the town itself in pieces. I see some of my fellow Canadian's, well at least I know I'm with friends, I relent and hover at the edge of the group of soldiers. Something I hadn't known for, what a month? I've lost track of time. I have only memories keeping me going now you see. Sweet sweet memories of red hair, green or grey eyes those seven little freckles so perfectly on her nose. Her smile, THAT smile which was just for me, or even better the look of distain on her face whenever she had looked at me in our early relationship. Any other man would curse himself for remembering the bad times but, they weren't so bad, they were of her. And if you don't know who I am on about, I think you a simpleton.

There was some… "entertainment" on a make shift stage by two brash Amercian voices. I've seen enough of the further 'entertainment' _those_ kind of girls give, _after_ the show. Not these two though, I've never seen them before but I have been offered _girls_ 'services' before. Being fluttered and flirted with, I'm not stupid to the lures of the female kind. The idea had churned my stomach, I'm a married man! I had lost my virginity not weeks, (or months… again time wasn't relevant anymore) before hand to the purest soul on earth, I could never betray her like that! The other soldiers 'messed' with these girls, some of them… did **more** ; I was never sure just how _far_ they went. Some were married back home, some were not. None of them thought it cheating exactly, many of them called me 'under thumb' that I should _experiment_ ; after all it would benefit my wife long term the more experience I had. I couldn't do that, not to _my_ Anne! Even now the memory of her bare form enters my soul. I feel the joy for a moment then push the memory away. I am determined, **_that_** memory would not be tainted with the blood and pain and hate of war. _That_ memory was precious and needed protecting. Yes, it was one of the only memories I had of Anne _as_ **my** wife, maybe if I ever had been on the edge of death, about to fall into the abyss maybe I could bring it out then and live in it for those few last blissful moments, die with the imagine of Anne… I feel myself flush as the imagine flashed across my memory. I close my eyes to cut the memory off again. 'stop thinking of Anne.' I tell myself but I know it is useless. Though it is strange, I haven't thought of her like _that_ for such a long time, I wondered, maybe it was just I was out of the immediate danger of being a prisoner of war. Actually getting to think of something but my impending death, not for the first time in this bloody war I am grateful for the fact I am a doctor, something which seemed on several occasions kept me alive, I am much more useful alive then dead.

The music I noticed stops in the background though I don't care to look to the reason why, they sounded happy rather than in distress and let's face it, right now that's all that mattered. A familiar chord stuck on the accordion…

Ouch! I think to myself. Just when I had resolved not to think of Anne, **our** wedding song. I started to look round the field looking for some sign from God that it was a cruel trick.

Then something strange happened, a softer voice joined in the other two harsher voices

 _"_ _Let me hear you whisper that you love me too."_

Wow! It is beautiful! The voice makes me stop, and I search the crowds more for the source of the sweet voice.

 _"_ _Keep your love light shining in your eyes so true."_

That sounded just like… No I'm dreaming! I panic. God I'm still in that cell aren't I? I'm still asleep! Something has stirred this, I'm asleep and there's 'entertainment'in the background and they are singing _our_ song. The sound has stirred me into thinking I can hear… _her_!

 _"_ _Let me call you sweetheart.."_

I looked down, no, no it couldn't be. I start to look up towards the make shift stage on the steps

 _"_ _I'm in love with you."_

Why did I have to stand so far away, I could barely see the women on the stage, though the one in the middle, she did have the same shade of red hair Anne did. I can't see her properly though.

 _"_ _Let me call you sweetheart.."_

I start to move, one foot in front of the other. If I walk I can see them I would have a better view. The red haired girl was wearing green, God! Anne looks so lovely in green! But it couldn't be? Could it? Right here, in the middle of Germany?! France?! Wherever the hell I am!

 _"_ _I'm in love with you."_

The music fades to background noise in my head, it… it can't be?!

The small redhead shook her head and looked at amazement in my direction and even from afar I can see her large eyes well up her lips smile in disbelief. I walk closer through the crowds, no! it couldn't be? What is Anne doing here? She should be safe on Prince Edward Island!

She runs down the steps and I lose her in the crowds for a moment. NO! No please God don't make me loose her now! Was she a delusion? She couldn't be real?! All these thoughts running a hundred miles an hour round my head.

But then I see her red hair flaming through the crowds, pushing aside the people around her, I wonder if she even sees their faces.

At last the vision stood mere feet in front of me. Still I'm not convinced she was real. She couldn't be! I stand frozen to the spot as I looked her up and down, maybe, maybe… she _is_ real. The crowds wouldn't part for my delusions, would they? My heart is racing in my chest.

"Oh!" she voices before her arms flung in front of her leaping into my arms.

It hit me there and then as I secured her in my arms. She's real, Anne… Anne…Anne! I can smell her see her touch and hear her, four out of five senses can't be wrong.

"Oh.." My hand immediately touches her hair, its real, she is _real_! My arm dropped to her back her cries so very real, for me! "my love!" she cries before kissing me so briefly on my lips again, the last of my senses confirm, taste, her kisses taste of Anne! She snuggles into me so tightly her cries so frantic it was barely understandable.

My hand back in her hair I hold her closer then I thought possible "I thought you were a dream!" I manage to say, I have a thousand questions for her, but they could wait, just wait… her hand in my hair, I snuggled my face into her neck kissing her there momentarily before her lips were trailing across my cheeks. Please God Yes! One, then two brief kisses on the lips. Her hands on my face, I am intoxicated with my sweet sweet Anne! Even those brief kisses made up for any temporary fix he could have ever had out on the field. Our hands and lips were trailing everywhere! Our hands held together she kissed into my hand as I still looked in amazement at her.

"Officer Blythe." I hear from beside me, though I can't respond. I don't care to anymore! Anne is here! Her hand stroked over my face. All at once I regained my other senses and looked round to see who had addressed me. He looked like… could it be?

"You remember Jack Garrison. He helped me look for you." Anne tells me through her cries, stroking me again as I look into her eyes again. Is this actually real?

"We've got to move very quickly. There's going to be a truce." Truth be told I barely hear Jack, I'm too busy waking to the reality that Anne was right there in front of me.

"Jack and his friend's with Allied forces. They're going to get us out of here quickly." Anne told me quickly, I can't believe it, well I can it is Anne after all doing the impossible, but what had Anne Blythe been doing in my absence? I think in wonderment at my wife. My wonderfully impossible wife!

"We haven't much time. I'll see what we can do." Jack told us, Anne pulls me away from this dreaded field. Anne was pulling me away from the war, away from my own personal hell, it was finally over.

* * *

Sleep had eluded me for so long. I can't remember the last time I slept, but I was safe, I was with Anne, how could I not listen to her and try and rest. I barely had believed the story Anne had shared with me, though I knew it was possible with my wife!

We had sat alone in the back of the taxi, Jack in the taxi in front of us as she recounted her story. The way she had received the returned letters she had written faithfully, my heart soared! Of course she did, I knew something must have stopped her _pen_ from getting to me. The letter telling her I was missing in action. The way she had seen Diana go through the same thing, but Anne being Anne, she had refused the fate of sitting and waiting, preferring a more direct approach. She was going to rip Europe apart with her bare hands until she found me. She told me of the chance meeting of Jack and Colette and little baby Dominic. The way Jack was a spy for us, dealing with dangerous, dangerous men, how Anne had become involved, how Anne had found Fred and had been across from me in that field.

That same day the hospital had come under attack, the same day I had been captured with my unit. I explained the soldiers had been executed who had been captured, how I thought it would be my fate also, but how being a doctor had saved my life. How they took me to save the lives of their men. How I had met brave men on the other side, pleading for my help, they had been conscribed to the army, it hadn't been their choice some had come out younger then they should, looking for the glories of war, I met one 14 year old. 14! Most of them old enough to understand I had been told disagreed with the war, with what they were fighting for but they like me had needed to 'do it for their country'.

I asked her, I asked if I was a traitor to my country by saving those men, she had soothed me telling me outright that I was a doctor not a solider and a work of a doctor was for all men, not just troops on our side. No one could accuse me of treason for saving lives. It was an act of bravery and pure love for mankind. I was glad Anne had found Fred and took him and the baby safely back to London. How she finally understood Fred, how Diana saw him all those years ago, how guilty she had felt for not liking him for taking Diana away. How they had become a makeshift family. I'm not mad, of course she found it in her to love Fred in her own way. He is a fine fellow (and hopefully safely back on PEI recovering). How she came back to mainland Europe and had found Jack again and how she had known those girls.

She amazes me!

"Only you." I smile to her still holding her in my arms as if, if I let go she would slip away.

"You aren't mad at your wife for being so impulsive?" she asks me wide grey eyes staring into my soul.

"What you did was dangerous, I would have preferred it if you had stayed safe at home." I take her cheek gently in the palm of my hand stroking her again so gently. "but if you did that, you wouldn't be _my_ Anne." I say with a proud smile. "So don't you mind what I would prefer you to do, its so impulsively you, and I told you before how I feel about that." I say hoping the glint in my eyes are shining through the tiredness.

She looks up at me and giggles slightly before kissing the hand which is joint with my own. She then looks up at me and kisses me squarely on the lips for quite some time. Her hands sweep through my hair I can't help but reflect her actions, was that her tongue making her way through my lips?! In plain public and in front of the man who had a fallen in love with her. Yes, I know, I know he is in love with Anne, I know better than anyone the signs. I can't blame him, after all… I am me! I had pined for… how many years? I also know Anne, I know where her heart lies and its with me, I know with every passing heartbeat her heart beats just for me as mine does for her. I pull away slightly "Anne sweetheart…" I manage breathlessly.

"I know." She whispers as she hugs into me again.

Now the train chucks in a strange way and a presence is suddenly over me, I intensively jump awake back on the battlefield I start to defend myself but then see a soft beautiful face in front of me of my wife. I think she sees the momentary fear in my eyes.

"Sorry to wake you." She says gently. Before I can respond her perfect lips are on mine. Kissing me passionately. I move forward wrapping my arms finally around my wife pulling her in closer by her lower back her hands caressing my face. I pull her back as I relax onto the chair her legs strangle either side of me.

"Anne." I say indicating the windows and doors beside us, the blinds to the windows already shut but they were not, she leaped from my lap pulling the doors shut locking it and rolling down the blinds so fast I barely have time to readjust my position before she is back on my lap.

"Better?" She asks me letting her long hair down her back. I can't help but hold it in my hands running through it twisting it in my fingers. I can't respond before our lips reconnect then our tongues. We slowly peel off our clothes, although in actual fact perhaps it isn't so slowly? It feels too slow but I think it was a matter of seconds… time again has no relevance anymore, but for a very blissful reason!

"Gil?" She starts pulling back for a moment.

"errmmmm." I say not able to form a word as I unfasten her brassiere. It is tossed aside as I look into her eyes.

"You know I've been to the front." She says to me, I murmur again in delight kissing into her neck. "I know how moral was kept up with the officers with, certain young ladies…" I pull back sensing where she is going with this. "I won't be mad if you did, I understand you have your needs, I just need to know…" she trailed blushing slightly.

I stop my pursuit for a moment and I hold her face again. "My needs…"I say looking her in the eyes "…could only ever be fulfilled by one woman…" I tell her. "…and that's what I told them when they came offering." I kiss her gently "This is the closest I've come to fulfilling those needs… since our wedding night."

She smiled faintly which quickly turned to a flirty bite of her bottom lip, she reached down and yanked my trousers and underwear off in one quickly putting herself back on my lap "then lets fulfil _our_ needs now." She whispered to me.

I hold her fast to me, finally enjoying her bare form again, those memories which I had carefully stored away too holy for the horrors of war came to the forefront of my mind. I finally, finally have her, my wife, she starts to make those sweet noises she made on our wedding night.

"Gil!" she whispered throwing her head back allowing me full access to her throat and chest, I couldn't help it I kissed at her neck and squeezed where her brassiere had been. My hand giving her the support it had formerly had, though by the sound she had made, was a good sight more pleasurable for her. This is all the catalyst I need. I can't wait to have that feeling again where our two bodies become one, where you can't tell where one person ends and another begins because you are so close together. I admit it, I need my wife!

Half an hour later and… how can I say this delicately… both of us fully satisfied I kept her close to me not dare letting go in case she fades into a dream.

"What about you Anne?" I ask her gently as we recover. "Did you receive any offers from anyone?" I ask her half knowing the answer, my bets were on Jack.

"Jack offered for us to be a family." Anne told me honestly. She looks at the lack of surprise on my face "You don't seem fazed by it?" she questions me.

"I know when a man is in love with Anne Shirley." I tell her honestly. "Did you want to?" I ask her. I know well enough to know she will tell me the truth, her feelings with regards to Jack had always been so very mixed up, with him helping her these last few months, I didn't know if it had budded into love for her.

She pulled back making sure we had eye contact. Her long red hair over her shoulder I can't help but touch it again. "I won't say the guarantee of protection wasn't tempting especially now the world is so uncertain, and I know how much I love Dominic. But he wasn't proposing it to Anne Shirley, was he?" she tells me straight. "he was proposing it to Anne Blythe. If I never saw the physical evidence of your demise I would never believe it, I would never let go…" she said stroking me again. "…I am Anne Blythe because I love you and only you, for the rest of time."

I look at her "You don't love him in the right way, not like this?" I confirm with her.

"Not like this." She whispers. "Only you." She lifts my face to look at her, "Don't ever call me Anne Shirley again." She whispers, "I am your wife and I bare _your_ name."

I smile into her eyes. "Yes Mrs Blythe." I say with a twinkle.

"And anyway." She said with a raised eyebrow and flirting eyes, "I could never marry anyone I wasn't scandalously in love with."

I smile at her words. A author through and through, she even makes her own chat up lines for me. Still joined we kiss again gently and longingly this time. I love the many ways I can kiss _my wife_!

There was a knock on the door but no attempt to open it. "Anne, Gilbert." The familiar voice of Jack rang through the carriage "the train will be stopping in fifteen minutes; we should ready ourselves for departure. We'll go and get Dominic."

We look at each other before she calls through "We'll be right with you Jack." We stroke each other's bare form one last time before we shuffled away to retrieve our clothes which had been casually disregarded around the carriage. Once our underwear is back on we find it easier to dress each other, I can't wait to get back to civilisation to get rid of this uniform once and for all.

* * *

Anne's distress is obvious as she ran towards the building, neither my own or Jack's calls brought her back. We look at each other directly and he shakes his head.

"Is she always so impulsive?" He asks me.

I chuckle, "I think you've known her long enough to know the answer to that yourself." I pause for a moment. "Thank you, by the way, for all the help you've given her."

He looks at me like I'm slightly mad. Even the few words on the train we had we both had felt the strain of what our relationship was to each other. To him, I was the man in the way, while we were engaged there was still a chance that… but now we're married, I guess a small (if not large part of him) hoped I was dead, so that he might have his chance with Anne. Again I can't place blame on him for that. Anne had cast her spell unwittingly on both of us, Anne unwittingly cast her spell on a lot of men. I know how lucky I am that she came to love me.

"She's told you? All that I said?" He asks me straight.

"Yes." I acknowledge.

He shifts awkwardly. There was silence as we came to the building.

Anne runs back to us and she springs into my arms, she looks accusingly at Jack. "What's the matter with you? He's _your_ son?! How can you be so calm?" she shouted.

I hush her silently in my arms. To be honest I'm wondering the same. If the child had been mine I would be ripping the place apart.

"If his Aunt found it necessary to evacuate she would have taken Dominic with her. He's probably safely in New York, we have a safe house there too, you don't have to go straight back to PEI do you? Come with me? Both of you, you'll see Dominic."

* * *

We're finally on a ferry away from France, I never care if I never see the place again, This ferry is heading right for New York. No its not home yet, but at least it's a step closer to home. We made a stop in Britain before we got on this ferry, Anne bought some civilian clothes for me, I think she could see I was uncomfortable still in my uniform. This ferry, is made for long haul journey's has bathrooms and fires, Anne makes the water the hottest water I have felt in a long time. As I lie in the water I can feel the soil of Germany and France loosen on my skin. Anne doesn't leave she takes the soap and rubs it over my skin.

"Anne you don't have to." I tell her gently.

"I want to." She replies gazing into my eyes.

It catches my breath, again, the look of love in her eyes. I'd forgotten what it was like. Memories are funny things, but through the war hate was dominate. Love, love like this so pure and true was lost to memories, but right now I was living it again.

She blushes and returns her attention to the soap and rubbing it over me. I find I cannot object. Her loving touches (or rather massages) along with the hot water relax me. I'd forgotten what my unknotted body felt like!

When I'm finished we look at the bathwater knowing it was useless for anything else (as the filth was that thick) we drain it out, Anne even cleans the bath tub because of how dirty it was, she tells me to go back to the cabin to lie down. So I do. I really have no control at the moment but I think that's okay. I change into my new night shirt and pyjama bottoms and I lie waiting for my wife to join me. It doesn't take long before she's snuggled in beside me her red hair behind her in front of me I start to naturally play with it my other arm around her. I subconsciously smell into her hair, as I did plenty of times in our long engagement. It smells like _her_. Those smells I longed for on the cold noisy nights of the war. The feeling of her pressed against me, another thing I longed for. She's mine to keep and to treasure, not to lock away in fear that something so lovely could be tainted, but to cherish, love and protect.

"I think you'll love Dominic." She says quietly to me. I stop and think for a moment. Could I love Jack Garrison's son? "He's like Colette, his mother a lot like her. He's such a sweet baby, Fred took to him straight away."

I smile. "Well if Fred did I'm sure I will." Fred is after all usually a lot more reserved then I am.

"Can I tell you something?" She asks me.

"Of course." I tell her.

She sits up and looks round to me "When I was in London, I made a promise to Jack, if anything ever happened to him, I would take care of Dominic." She paused waiting for a reaction from me. "Are you mad? I made that decision without consulting you first, it would have affected both of us."

I look into her eyes. "How can I be mad at you? For saying you would look after a baby if anything happened to his one remaining parent? What were you going to do Anne? Pack Dominic off to an orphanage to have the same miserable existence you had to endure?" I pause and laugh "and anyway I was hardly contactable for a consultation was I?"

"You aren't mad?" She confirms.

"I could never be mad at you for offering your love to a child." I tell her straight.

"What if Jack decides to make me keep that promise? What if…" She trailed worrying.

"If we ended up with Jack's son, I would love him as my own." I tell her. "I promise you that."

She looks at me sweetly and kisses me gently before she lies back down.

I hold her like that for the rest of the night, in my arms.

* * *

It takes another seven days to get back to New York. The tensions between Jack and I gradually start to fade. I know it must be hard for him, to see my arm round Anne, for her to be snuggling into me, but he did approach me about his feelings.

"You know I love you wife." He admits outright.

"Yes." I say to him.

He shivers uncomfortably. "How are you so calm then?" He asks me. "I mean if Anne were mine I'd be stoke mad if another man…"

I smile briefly. "Our relationship hasn't always been so…" I trail. "easy." I admit. "I spent what seemed like forever with Anne loathing my existence." He looked at me surprised. "I don't need to know that no one else is attracted to my wife, they're all mad for not to fall in love the instant they meet her in my opinion." I tell him. "So I can't really complain when someone does." I look at him and smile.

"How long after you met her did you fall in love with her?" He asked me.

"Honestly, I think it started when I first saw some long red pigtails peeking out from under a hat at a picnic, she raced in a three legged race you know? No other girl…" I sigh. "I knew for certain when she broke a slate over my head." I say with a laugh. "How about you?"

"I overheard her give some ridiculous titles for her book…." He trailed. "But it intrigued me. When I read her manuscript, I wished I had her passion for something…"

I smile "that's how it starts." I chuckle.

"She never meant to…" he tried.

I laugh. "I know." I tell him. "She never meant for me to fall in love with her either."

"She's hard to get." Jack said almost sadly. I can't help but feel sorry for the guy for a minute. "Impossible for me." He concedes. "You're a lucky man." He tells me holding out his hand for a handshake. I take it.

"I know how lucky I am. I know how close I've came to losing her." I swallow. "I don't care if another man loves her, because I know she would never have consented to be my wife if she had those feelings for anyone else. With Anne it's all or nothing. Besides it means we do have _something_ in common." I say

"break her heart I'll kill you." He said to me only half kidding.

"right back at you." I reflect.

I hope this is enough to finally break the ice between us. It did. Even Anne seemed happier now we were getting along easier. Lets face it seven days on a boat, you know only two people, it would be a long journey if only one of them never spoke to you. Spending some time with the guy, I actually get along with him quite well. He reminds me of a few of my classmates from medical school, in personality.

The night times were my favourite times of course. Being alone with Anne and she never fails to satisfy me in… all so many ways! Ways I had dreamed of… I realise what a complete fool I was… Marrying a girl then the next day leaping on a train to serve my county! I should have married her the moment I finished medical school like I wanted. I never should have let my career get in the way of our relationship! I lost another three precious years which could have been mine with her because of it. Maybe I should have asked her to marry me anyway and taken her to New York with me to begin with, as my wife. I confine in her about all this, she tells me there's no point in wishing our lives away over what might have been, she's right of course, but I can't help but wonder… What it might have been like.

* * *

We finally make it back to New York where I finally get to meet Dominic. He recognises Anne before he even recognises Jack. He only smiles. Anne looked after him after all for a good part of a year in his living memory, the boy couldn't have been older than two years old. I finally get to hold the boy in my arms, he looks right at me like he's known me his whole life and hugs me. I guess in a funny way he does know me, he knows Anne so he knows me. He sits quietly as we play with the few toys he has.

We stay in New York for a few days as arrange to get back to PEI. Anne is tearful at leaving Dominic behind, but he's safe with his father and she knows it.

Jack doesn't feel so safe, he asks me directly if anything were to happen to him would I mind if Anne kept her promise. I tell him the truth in no uncertain terms. I would be honoured to be entrusted with someone else's child and I tell him, he must come and visit us on PEI. After all there's Fred who is dying to see Dominic too. He makes a joke about his boy having so many adoptive parents who love him. I can tell he's feeling insecure about being a single father, especially in this day and age. Single mothers, I suppose will be more common now with so many departed husbands in the war, single fathers however… I feel for him, I really do, maybe he was a decent chap after all.

* * *

We're safely on the ferry now back to PEI. I hold her close to me, a little less formally attired to what I'm accustom to wearing but I'm okay like that. She tells me I look like the farm boy I once was, I joke and say I look too old to be a farmboy now, that people will think I cradle snatched her. She laughs and tells me I'm just as handsome as the first day we met. I feel comforted, at least I know my wife doesn't see me as old as I feel.

We're finally home. Living with Fred and Diana with their two little ones makes us long for our own family, but Green Gables really isn't big enough for us all. We're home three months before I approach her about this carefully, I know what Avonlea means to her, it means the same to me. I know what Green Gables means to her.

She's sitting out on the veranda sowing, just as I used to see her and Marilla do so often, I sit on the chair opposite her, "I've been given an interesting offer by Doctor Stuart over in Glen St. Mary." I start.

"Oh?" She says looking at me.

"He's getting old, near retirement; he's looking for a partner for his practice to take over once he retires."

Anne looks at me and gives a different answer to what I'm expecting. "a part of me will always be at Green Gables, but I think we need a fresh start. For, you, and I…" She trails as she sees the look on my face "…and our baby."

I feel my eyes widen… how in the world had she hidden THIS from me.

"Anne, how can you know…?" I ask her.

"I suspected a couple of weeks back, I confided in Diana, I didn't want to seem foolish if I was wrong to you, but with the symptoms she suggested surprising you and we went to the Doctors in Charlottetown that day we went down there last week. Diana didn't know the results, I told her beforehand you should be the first one to know."

I kneel in front of her reaching for her stomach. "how far along do you think?" I ask her.

"The doctor in Charlottetown said about twelve weeks, give or take, it's really difficult to tell this early on but said if my husband was a doctor… you would know what to do."

I can't describe to you how it feels. To know your seed is passed to another generation, that a child can be born in a broken world and fix it. The way my heart pounded.

"We can raise that family we always wanted." Anne said with a smile.

"With plenty of scope for the imagination." I say with a smile and a light kiss to her stomach. I look up "Shall we go and tell Fred and Diana?" I ask her. "I bet she's bursting to know by now?" I question.

Anne nods and I help her out of her chair. I wrap my arm around her proudly. A feeling enters my heart, just as it did the day we first kissed on that bridge, a new chapter was in the works of being written for us and all is right for us in the world.


	2. Alternative 2 Part 1

**Alternative 2 Part 1**

 **"What do you hear from Gil?"** She asks me.

 **"All of his letters were sent back. I'm afraid something's happened. I need to know what."** I tell her almost trembling.

 **"What can you possibly do?"** She asks me confused.

 **"Go to the last field hospital I have record of. Search from there."** I tell her my hare-brained idea.

 **"Through all of France? They won't let civilians to the front."** She says in disbelief.

 **"I won't stay here and wait for my husband's funeral."** I inform her.

 **"No."** she seems like she won't say anything at first but then she says something. "Promise me one thing though Anne?"

"Anything." I say, knowing she won't try and change my mind about leaving.

"Go to the doctor before you leave the island, like the boys do on conscription. Just to make sure." She says.

I look to her confused for a moment, what an odd request. "Alright." I agree hesitantly. "Yes you are right Diana." I say convincing myself, after all it's a different continent I would hate to catch something…. After all, there was nothing the Doctor could say to stop me going.

* * *

She managed to find her way back to Green Gables, though she wasn't entirely sure how with the daze she was in. She certainly wasn't expecting that! She pulled out a chair and sat into it. Diana came in close behind, although she didn't go to the doctors with her she had kept her eye out for her best friend walking back.

"Anne." Diana called coming into Green Gables. Diana was met with silence she found her sitting at the dining room table. Diana sat beside her and looked at her "Anne darling are you okay?" she asks her more directly.

Anne was in some kind of daze, she didn't know at first if Anne had heard her. But confirmation soon came by a stunned Anne replying. "I'm pregnant." Anne looked to her friend. "You knew?" Anne asked the none shocked Diana.

"I only suspected Anne dear, honest." Diana brought her hands to Anne's.

"That's why you asked me to go?" She asked her friend.

"Gil would kill us both if you went to Europe in the… in your condition and you know it."

"How?!" Anne asked.

"How?" Diana asked.

"We only ever had our wedding night." Anne almost whispered.

Diana half smiled. "It only takes once Anne."

"I know." Anne said quietly.

"Did you not suspect? I mean your monthly visitor must have stopped…" Diana trailed.

"I didn't notice until the doctor asked me this afternoon. I've been so preoccupied with 'getting on with it'… I didn't care to check the calendar. It only signified another day without him." She said as she started to sob.

Diana leapt beside her. "Oh Anne, Anne darling it'll be fine."

"It won't! Its not fine! My son may never know his father!" Anne broke "Do you know how it feels not to know a parent?!" she threw at Diana.

"Anne." Diana whispered. "I'm sorry that was insensitive of me, forgive me. Of course it isn't fine, its never fine not to know a parent…" Diana took a sigh "you can't know it's a son in there, it may be a daughter…" she trailed as Anne shook her head.

"No, I know it's a boy, I can feel it's a him." Anne took a breath and appreciated Diana's silence in that moment. "I should be over rejoiced." Anne said miserably. "I'm carrying Gilbert Blythe's child." She started to cry again, "Instead I feel so empty, I have no Gilbert to share it with." She wiped her eyes and took a breath. "Three months, I'm three months gone. I'll need to keep working with my stories and my tutoring." Anne looked to Diana. "You might not want to but, will you stay here Diana, at least until the baby is born. The children are welcome too. I don't think I can face this aloneness anymore."

Diana smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "We'll bare this together Anne, we'll make our men proud." Diana looked to Anne half scared of the answer "yes?"

Anne nodded. "For him and his son." Anne whispered holding her stomach. "I need to be strong for his son."

* * *

A month later Anne now had some of her old spirit back. Diana knew in particular all was not well with her but she appeared to be bearing her burden better.

Diana was sowing on the veranda when she saw Anne approach Green Gables in a fast pace. As she approached the veranda Diana asked her "Anne dear you should take it easy four months is a tricky month you could hurt the baby."

Anne sat down exasperated. "I am sick and tired of people assuming my husband is dead!"

Diana sighed. "Its common for them to go missing and then…"

"Do you think Fred is dead?!" Anne exclaimed.

"It's a possibility." Diana sighed.

"Well it isn't with Gil." Anne said resolutely. She sat forward and clasped Diana's hands "If he were gone, if he would dead, surely I would know it. I would feel I lost him." She sighed, "Wouldn't I?"

"Maybe." Diana admitted. "Its what I hope for." Diana said with faded expression on her face as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Anne took a sigh. "I did hear something to give me hope. Mr James has given up Avonlea school, went to conscribe to the army the head of the board asked me out rightly if I would consider the post, they know of my condition and are willing for me to work round it, they said they need a steady and good source of education for the children, but so many of the boys are conscribing and so many of them marrying the girls, the girls aren't bothering getting their teachers certificates…"

Diana smiled. "They must think highly of you. And you know with lunch time being two hours now instead of one… I mean I could come down and see Fred and I could bring Anne and bring the baby when he comes along…"

"I thought you might be excited…" Anne smiled. "its not for sure yet, but it's a definite hopeful and it would bring in a wage for the four… well five of us." She said stroking her barely there bump.

Diana smiled. "We have the apples from the orchard and the ones from the old Blythe Orchard."

Anne smiled. "I can't believe he bought the orchard." Anne smiled shaking her head.

"Well they are the best apples on the island." Diana smiled.

"Not to mention Gilbert's hankering for apples." Anne smiled. "Something his boy has inherited!" she laughed at the knowledge of her cravings.

"I think we have plenty to make some preserves, make some pies, I think Betty Lawson was after some for the general store, not to mention Marilla's Red current wine, since you are the only one left who can make it!" Diana laughed. "And I can bear witness to how nice it is."

They looked at each other and started to laugh together. "I was wondering what to do with all the red currents, somehow through all the abuse this house has endured those bushes refused to budge and no one ever saw the point in getting rid of the apple trees. Maybe we could look at some gardening, it won't be on the scale I knew with Matthew and Marilla but if you don't mind getting our hands dirty…"

Diana smiled. "I don't think I have much of a choice anymore." Diana said. "All the money in the world…" she sighed, "I would give it all back just to see Fred again."

Anne hugged her bosom friend. "You and I will see our men again." She said with a determined spirit. "They are out there Diana, I know it. I just do."

"in the meantime, lets make ourselves practical, maybe when the men come home we won't need them to go to work, we'll have made millions ourselves." Diana smiled.

* * *

 _Dearest love,_

 _This letter unlike the others is destined not to be sent, or at least they tell me not to send you letters anymore with your whereabouts being unknown. I'll be honest for a little while I physically couldn't bring pen to paper to write, the idea the letter might never be in your strong hands broke my heart. But now almost two months after receiving the news that they didn't know where you were, I feel, in my heart, they can tell me not to send the letters but they have no jurisdiction over whether or not I write these letters. I have concluded since it is my belief you are still alive, that I must write to you so that at very least when you come home you shall have something to entertain you, in the hope they find your whereabouts and tell me where to send these letters, so you might at least have something to entertain you while you work._

 _I have so much to tell you all together yet i want you to embrace all I have to say as I had to, so very gradually._

 _First an apology, my love. The way you struggled between your country and your wife, I never should have made that more difficult for you, I'm sorry for the way I acted, but when it came to the very possibility of losing you (my love) my very soul breaks in two. I feel like that helpless child who cried a bitter vigil into the night when we thought you were dying of the fever. I needed to hold you and tell you over and over again of my undying love for you and if you leave, there would be no one or nothing which could heal that void which would be left if I lost you. I know its selfish, a trait we don't really have in common. I wish, I wish my love I could hold you for hours on end and tell you how much I love you, even my love show you it._

 _Now for my behaviour since you've been gone. Don't worry I haven't disgraced the name Blythe by any means, or at least I hope not! I think you would be proud of me, I hope you are proud of me._

 _First, when I received your letters back telling me they didn't know of your whereabouts my impulse was to run to the front to find you. I had even told Diana so. She urged me, like our troops to visit the doctor first, yes how bitter that visit would be! I longed to see you, even as a doctor would do, but alas it wasn't you but I am now glad Diana convinced me to go._

 _See I didn't come out to France to find you I've stayed right here in PEI, and for good reason. You see I got some unexpected news from the doctor that day._

 _My love, I hate to tell you in this way, I wish you could have been the one telling me my condition, I long for the look on your face, the joy it would express. I wish you were here to comfort me when I have fears, to tell me it's normal, to tell me what's not.. I wish for you to be here when... if you haven't guessed by my words, my Gilbert, our sacred night has been sealed with a life forming inside of me! Gilbert, you are going to be a father._

 _I'm now 25 weeks pregnant, well close enough to, and I FEEL more Blythe like everyday. Diana tells me I can't know but I feel I do know, it's a boy. I FEEL he's a boy. I'm drawn to little blue knits and little sailing ships. And my love, he has your hankering for apples and peppermint. He will not allow any beef to pass my lips but loves chicken and fish. He loves long walks and afternoon naps. I think I have the delicate balance right between being sick and eating properly for the two of us._

 _So, your child is the reason I'm not manually turning every stone in France looking for you, and you know I would not give up until I found you. I pray you are safe. I pray for you to come home one day, I wish it were tomorrow, but I know God needs time to work his miracles, I live in the hope that one day, one sweet day I shall be in your arms again, you'll get to hold your son, we can be a family._

 _In the meantime, Diana has moved in with me at green gables with little Fred Jr and Anne Cordelia. See around the same time we received word or even lack of word, they returned Moody's and Charlie's tags, they haven't found Fred's but they have assumed him missing in action, like you. Diana I think only entertains the thought that you are both still alive for my sake, but I stand by the fact, I would know sweet Gilbert, wouldn't I? I would KNOW if I lost you. I would know it!_

 _I'm resolute my love not to think of it! I will not believe it! And if you are and I never get my answer... then I shall be faithful, I will live as though you are alive and to some future generation I'll be an old maid with a son. Well let them think it, for do have a husband. I am loved as a wife and if I'm wrong and you have passed onto the next life, I know our love is strong enough to endure through the veil and one day when I am old and grey I shall join you in the eternities. You shall have kept your youthful looks and charms and I'll be an old lady... Will you still love me when i am old and grey? I always supposed we will be young when we pass to one life to the next. I hope I am right in that circumstance._

 _However in the meantime, us female kind are making ourselves useful here on the island, I've been employed as Avonlea's school teacher. The board are willing to work round our little one and he's due in the summer anyway so by the time we go back Diana and I should be in a routine with him. We're also pulling our resources, we're selling home made green gables produce with our apples from both orchards, we're selling plum puffs and red current wine, we have our dairy cows so cheese, yogurt and milk are home made, Diana has quite green fingers and can knit beautiful blankets faster then even Marilla could in her heyday!_

 _The home front is driven by women, well.., the suffragette's will thrive on this..! Not that I disagree exactly, but it needs to be this way, the question will be, when the men return, how will it change? I think it shall change a lot for many people... not for US though sweet Gilbert, I already know you see me as your equal, but I fear for the men, even in our generation, who view women as... I think this war will do more then change the face of the world,... I feel politics will change, I think Grit and conservative will not matter anymore and we'll need to unite over other matters which this war has dug up, things as a human race we have buried and hid in the name of peace. I fear for the world, I can only hope we bring to this world a good man with principles who can withstand the changes the world is going through._

 _I miss you Gilbert. But I feel your son is made of the same salt as you. When I feel him move within me I know he is reassuring his mother._

 _I love you Gilbert._

 _Yours always_

 _Anne Blythe_


	3. Alternative 2 part 2

_Dearest Gilbert_

 _I bet you are looking for news on our baby well now I'm 27 weeks along my stomach feels huge though Diana says you can barely tell I am pregnant... well no offense to Diana I'm sure you would know the difference... you would know it straight away. I can't imagine getting bigger then this but Diana says I will... can you pictures it love? My body stretched and pulled in every direction... I doubt you'll recognise your own wife when you return home. Though I am determined our son shall know you... I know most people think it ridiculous but I share with him a story of you every day. I tell him of his brave pap who is saving people's lives on the war front... i tell him of the boy you once were...precious real memory of his pap. So he might know you and one day be like you... exactly like you Gil. I say it all out loud then I play it out in my memory... I imagine my mind would be like a huge film screen for our son. Do you think he shall inherit anything from me...? I know he is a Blythe his spirit is as strong as his kicks... yes kicks... Sometimes, when am alone lying on our bed i barely wear much to bed at all... but i can see him wiggling round my stomach! I know he's comforting me... letting me know he is there._

 _As good as his reassurances are they aren't substitute for your calming presence love. Though in my darkest hours I close my eyes and I imagine you there. Sometimes it's from when we were engaged sometime it's the school teacher Gilbert beside me. Today I remembered that race we had on our bikes... the day you told me Diana and Fred were engaged... and you went head first into the lake of shining water... I know it may not have seemed it... Indeed I wasn't fully aware of it at the time... but I did check you out that day... you're a fine specimen of a man Gilbert Blythe! Both inside and out... you could have any girl you wanted... what on earth were you doing picking me?_

 _Diana and I have planted out some seasonal vegetables in the garden and we agree simply waiting for things to grow now. It shouldn't be too long and green gables have keep some amazing self sustaining features, apples and red currents, the blackcurrant and blackberry bushes we planted together all those years ago, I assured you they would come to nothing,.. and you told me one day I would be glad we planted them, do you remember? You were right again love, just as you always are ._

 _My publisher has accepted the manuscript I sent and have sent me my advance of 30 dollars... its my third piece of published work as 'Anne Blythe' ( & not just plain Anne Shirley... did I mention I am glad you have... sorry we have such a lovely surname to think it could have been Anne Harris or Anne Pringle... or worse imagine a more common name like Anne Gardner. But Blythe is a perfectly beautiful name it brings with it happiness and contentment I'm glad we have such a nice surname ) , and they want me next to do a war romance... I must say I can't see anything romantic about this war... it is dragging on and killing a whole generation of men. Then there are those who are lost as you still are love and we hang on Gil... we hold out for news on our husbands and lovers fathers and sons. It's not romantic it's tragical! But alas 'it is what they want to read Mrs Blythe' they tell me. _

_I have slipped back into school teaching like it was an old and favoured glove as you probably knew I would. Little Fred Wright is starting school in September... who would have thought I'm old enough to be teaching one of our school chums children! Though they're are several starting in September. I don't think I'll be able to help favouring those who I love through their parents!_

 _Diana is knitting and crocheting so beautifully, I know I'm no slouch on the matter I was raised by Marilla Cuthbert after all but she makes me wish I paid a little more attention in my needlework! We've already started selling blankets and have made winter fruits pies and seeing those too... we're quite the entrepreneur's!_

 _I know it sounds like a lot of work love when I should be taking it easy... but rest assured Diana is the perfect nurse and makes sure I rest plenty. But we're working females now Gilbert as Fred would say 'business women' and it's a good job we are too... its hard work right now but I believe once everything falls into place we shall be thriving... it might be a step down to being a poor doctors wife! Though I shall forebear it with you love, just promise me you'll come home to me... to your son._

 _Stella's husband didn't make it back. But she wrote to me. She's now the editor of the north shore news and wants me to write about the women's front... what we have done what we are doing what we are sacrificing for king and country! I shall of course enclose you a copy of my first draft and a cutting from the newspaper once printed..._

 _I long to see you and hold you again love._

 _With words you once begged of me I beg the same of you._

 _Don't forget me._

 _Love your wife_

 _Anne Blythe_

 **This world is easy for a man. Or so we are told.**

 **I want to tell you of a man. One who in many ways had a good and privileged upbringing. He was loved by two parents who he loved in return. He was a smart boy, who worked to the best of his abilities both at school and in his family's business, somehow balancing the two so perfectly and still having the time and heart to recognise when others needed help, and not only notice but care enough to help. I can tell you enough of this man to tell you of his patience his love and his unfailing kindness. He married the girl he had always loved, then the next day went to the front, to heal for King and county giving other men the chance of survival where they may not have had that chance without men like him.**

 **I want to tell you of another man, this man equally as kind equally as loved by those around him. This man akin to the first, they grew up together, the women they chose to marry being best friends, how could they be anything different. This man, knew it would break his wife's heart to hear him talk of leaving, but such was his love for King and country he called upon the first to take him to the station to fight for our freedom, by giving of his own.**

 **The first man is my own husband and the second is my best friends husband. Was their decision easy? Truthfully no. I saw how they struggled with this war. In truth I can tell you of many a man in my generation struggle with this decision. One day the boy with goggle eyes and quick temper, the next he leaves his wife and children never to be seen again. One day the boy with a toad who scares girls with them, the next he leaves in uniform. I know, because I know these men. They are the men I grew up with, the ones who have been lost or worse yet simply informed that they died for us. They knew, all knew it was a possibility, often we can't even have a funeral for them for we have nothing left of them, but they still made that sacrifice.**

 **Then there are our sacrifices. We were raised as good wives should be, some with a full education of the world some with the knowledge of our fore parents, none of which could prepare us for this cruel trick of the world. Tearing away our father's, brothers, husbands fiancée's and friends. Leaving in their places empty shells to fill, which could only be filled by us. We sacrifice our families our dreams to simply let the world tick on. We live in a world we never were expected to live in.**

 **But it doesn't need to be solely about sacrifices. We have in front of us opportunities, to learn to grow, to develop, no only as a sex, but as a human race, in the absence of the man, the flag waved by us. Those left behind. We wave it in the name of freedom, our king, our country and in the names and memories of those who have sacrificed so much!**

 **I see in the farmers fields women working the long hours of a day. I see the schools filled with women teaching our children reading writing and arithmetic. I see women not just working but running our shops, blacksmiths. I see them bartering for the food and clothes needed. I see them keeping their homes today and clean and caring for their children without the support of their husbands. I see women going to the factories and them producing the equipment and medicines needed not only here on the home front but for those things needed on the front, enabling the men, giving us a better hope of their return. I see a world of equality and in the traps of war a strange sort of liberation for women. We're no longer solely defined as Mrs, but as ourselves and by our abilities.**

 **This world is not easy, for a man or a women, but I hold within me a precious life, the next generation, I want my child life not to be tarnished by war but to be a light in this dark world, a hope a pray that this war is a war to end all wars, one where they will never need know this kind of world again.**

 **Together let's make it that world, not one of despair and hate, but one of faith and hope in a better world.**

 **By Anne Blythe, Avonlea, PEI.**

 _... there you go dear husband of mine! What do you think? It took a lot to write it and not talk solely about you. About how much I miss you and long to be with you again. I'll admit but only to you... with only ten weeks until I meet your son in the flesh... I'm afraid. I'm afraid I've lost you forever, and I'm scared Gilbert, I'm scared that the moment I hold him in my arms I know I'll love him, but I almost feel afraid to love again. What if I lose him too? But then a more serene Anne sometimes comes to surface and thinks you'll return to the family you always wished for and I can't wait to see the look on your face as you learn you are a father! Diana says it's the pregnancy hormones which are making my mood swing from one extreme to another, that I should try my best (hard as it might be) to focus on the good rather then fear the worse. Though she insists on being 'realistic' in Fred's case, honestly Gilbert, what's the difference between realism and pessimism? Our situations are not that different, Fred is missing as you are... so what makes mine pessimistic and hers realism?_

 _I love you Gilbert Blythe, I finally love the fact I'm carrying your child, up until last week there was a hint of melancholy about it, but then I've come to realise, you told me when you were leaving you felt like you were leaving part of you behind by leaving me, but you left part of you here with me, and I get to hold him in my belly for nine months, I get to hold him to my skin, I get to keep him as my own, you see you DID leave a part of you behind and he is precious. So, so precious!_

 _So I look forward to the day I get to hand you your son! And my love it will happen, one day my love it WILL happen!_

 _Love from your wife_

 _Anne Blythe._


	4. Alternative 2 Part 3

_Dearest love,_

 _By some sweet miracle the good Lord have answered half of our prayers. Fred is home! He is safe here at Green Gables, he's injured, he needs respite, but Diana is so relieved! I am relieved! Little Fred and Anne are so happy to see their father again. He won't have full capability of his legs anymore, but he said a doctor on the front had saved them… him from being… a doctor like you. That he was surprised you had gone to the front and hadn't heard of you being there. That it didn't mean anything that there was so many soldiers so many doctors… You could have been feet away from each other and never know._

 _I'm not saying I'm not glad of Fred's return, and I'm not glad for Diana, but it breaks my heart at the same time! Why could you not be returned to me? I'm needing you more and more love. My stomach now round and big enough to be a house (though I suppose for one little fella it is) Our baby will be in my arms within the month an I'm becoming more and more scared of the prospect to giving birth!_

 _You should have seen Fred's face when he saw my stomach! He was somewhat relieved we did actually marry before you went to the front and yet I saw a sadness and a frightened look in his eye. I think he knows as well as I do, you may never return. I may have written these letters faithfully for the past eight months only to lie them at a memorial for you (they aren't even returning the bodies home Gil, our men can't even rest in the place they defended). I know these are morbid thoughts and not at all like me but this war has got into my soul and it is eating away at me, I feel as though I may never feel whole again, I feel broken and tired and my one wish is just to feel your arms around me again, to hold me and tell me everything will be okay, that you are alive and well and… I want you to be able to hold your son! I want you to feel him as he's kicking in my stomach (He takes after his papa after all he's going to make it onto the football team one day let me tell you!) I want you to read stories to us for him to know your voice like he knows mine and my heartbreaks Gil, because I don't have these things now, yes, but I may never have them at all, I may never be pregnant again, I may never experience the joy on your face as you meet your child, I may never have those babies we wanted so much, the ones we planned for, six, seven, eight (right now I'd go for nine or ten if I only got to see you again!)_

 _Yet I do know how morbid and selfish I'm being. I'm not the one at the front facing what you have. I'm not the one risking my life and for such a noble cause as yours._

 _I remember a boy who rowed me to shore one day. I was soaking wet and cold to the skin, when we got to shore… you know what I would do now? I'd jump into your arms and wrap my legs around you, (possibly sending up both into the water, that would be okay too) I'd let you kiss me and I would kiss you back and let you touch me wherever you wanted! Because we would be together… I would have years with you I would marry you then and there in a union holier than then the hell I'm living wondering what we could have! If only I'd forgiven you sooner, if only we'd married the second you finished medical school instead of waiting another 2 years! I would let you love me! Or maybe I would follow you to New York faster than I did, I would have taken you up on your offers of living with you being with you! I have been such a fool… and I'm so so sorry Gilbert!_

 _Please be alive please come back to me! Please come home!_

 _Love Anne._

"GILBERT!" Anne screamed as she pushed.

"Anne he's not coming, come on push you have to push!"

"If he hears me he'll come! GIL!" She shouted in pain.

"Anne…" Diana said more firmly.

"NO!" Anne said red in face. She suddenly went very quiet tears coming down her face "No! No! I need him!" She said as she broke into tears.

"Anne!" Diana exclaimed quietly coming to her side. "Oh sweetheart, you poor sweetheart!"

"He would never miss this.. he'd… he'd be here." She cried

"If he could of course he would!" Diana cried too. "But he can't be here Anne, so you have to push!"

Half an hour later a baby's cry was heard in Green Gables. A strong lung and body burst to life.

"Anne!" Diana cried upon holding the baby. "Oh Anne you were right it is a boy! How could you have known that!?" she said looking at the baby as she wiped him quickly and put him in Anne's arms. "Well that blue baby blanket won't go to waste you did I suppose!"

Anne held him close to her in her wearied arms. "Gilbert, oh Gilbert." She cried happily.

"Anne?" Diana asked worriedly. "Gilbert isn't here honey remember?" she said.

Anne looked to her friend and laughed tiredly. "No, Diana, not that Gilbert, this Gilbert." She said looking down to her baby softly. "Gilbert Matthew Blythe." She said quietly. "Don't you think it's perfect? I had the name picked out for so long!" she asked her. "Don't you think he's perfect?"

Diana sighed in relief. "What a lovely name Anne, and yes, sweet Anne, he is perfect." Diana sighed.

"Did you hear your name little man?" she asked him quietly. "Named after your papa, the bravest Doctor on the front." She whispered to him watching him as he looked onto her own eyes. His eyes not like her own at all but hazel like Gilbert's. "Don't you think he looks like Gilbert?" Anne asked Diana.

Diana smiled "You can't always tell when they are this small Anne, though those eyes are his." She said looking sweetly at the baby. "You need to rest Anne." She continued.

"Can… Can I keep Gilbert?" she asked holding the baby close to her not wanting to let go.

Diana wiped her friends brow "If you like." She replied smiling kindly. She couldn't blame Anne for wanting to keep the baby with her. After all, she thought sadly, it might be the only thing of Gilbert's she'll ever have ever again.

 _Dearest love,_

 _Last night a miracle entered the world, Our son!_ _Gilbert Matthew Blythe was born May 27_ _th_ _1918 at 10:24pm weighing a healthy (and big) 9 pounds 9 oz.! Upon being born he snuggled into my breast fell asleep and didn't wake again until 5am in the morning, where he whimpered a second, found his way to my breast latched on and did nothing but feed for the next hour! I don't know what is normal or how much he is taking but he's ours Gilbert! Our little bundle! Diana says you can't tell this early on but he looks like you. I see you in his little expressions. He has your… everything! Your eyes, your curls and colour of hair, your colouring and not a drop of red to his hair at all! He's truly the most wonderful little man and I think my love, I hope you don't mind, but I fell in love with him! Twice in my life I have fallen in love and twice it was with a Blythe!_

 _I can't express my feelings right now, I don't know how to convey these emotions!_

 _He's asleep right now love and I've been told by Diana to sleep when he sleeps I'll soon know why! But I cannot, so I thought I'd write our secret rendezvous! The only and most sacred place to find you is right here, in my heart!_

 _I imagine right now that Gilbert isn't in his cot but he is in your arms and you are gazing down at him loving him and holding him safely. You love him as much as I do and you can't sleep for excitement! You hold me in your other arm and hold me safely there for I am still weak from giving birth and you tell me all is well, that the world is right and just and you will make it all okay for us!_

 _But don't worry Gilbert, I shall be strong for us all. Our son will want for nothing I will provide and nurture him ready for his papa coming home, because I know it now, there is no way we could create such a wonderful gift of life for you never to see it, so its providence I know with all of me, you are safe and you will return to us soon._

 _Love your wife_

 _Anne_

 _(And your son Gilbert)_


	5. Alternative 2 part 4

11/11/1918

Today marks the day Gilbert. I woke this morning to the news reminding me. 11am Paris time, 6am here The Armistice came into force, the last weapon fired, the last pointless death in the war… its finally over!

Gilbert and I lay in bed, him sucking away at me not possibly understanding or comprehending what it means, but when I looked at him, Gilbert, he grows more and more like you every day. You know what I saw today?

His curls round his head framing his handsome little face, I saw this look in his hazel eyes, which was so frank and honest and so… full of knowledge! Like he knew what was being said and he understood what it meant!

I see you when I look at him. Everyone sees you when they look at him!

Mrs Lynde said "Bless my soul Anne! Its like the clock has turned back 26 years! I remember his father at this age and he's just like him!" she is unusually careful about assuming your fate my love. I think its out of kindness to me I see the same pity in her eyes as I do with the others, but the others don't mind saying it, "Doesn't it kill you that he's so much like Gilbert? And to think you named him after his Pa, he's never going to know…"

Want to know a secret? It doesn't kill me. No, not one bit.

Firstly, I believe you are still alive. Its as simple as that. No what if… buts or maybe's… you are alive and well and you are coming home.

Secondly, Even if you were gone, even if my hope is a false one I remember saying in one of my previous letters, you left a small part of you with me. Well it has grown and it was nurtured and it is now our beautiful son! So, even if you are no more which I pray is not the case, but even if it was so, part of you lives on, part of you is here with me. He is you! Through and through!

He's five and a half months old now Gilbert! He's so clever Gilbert, he sits up on his own now! Without any help! He has such a sweet little smile and he still insists on grabbing onto my hair and playing with it when he's breastfeeding! He looks me in the eyes and I swear it's the same glint in his eyes as yours did the day you reached over and called me 'carrots'! But I cannot be mad at him, he's too much like you. Your humorous eyes your sweet smile, You! He's you!

So no, it doesn't kill me, it keeps me alive!

….

School is going well. My students are growing and nurtured, I'm glad I won't need to see any of them leave to go to war now. I know it means with the men coming home I maybe out of a job, but it seems a small price to pay to see them grow into men instead of being sent to war as boys.

I feed Gilbert before I leave the house then Diana brings him and little Anne to the school house at lunch time we have such a merry time together. I think… Sometimes Gilbert stays all afternoon, plays quietly by the teachers desk while I teach the lessons. I know it can't keep on happening, all too soon he'll be vying for my attention; just while he is little and it doesn't matter too much I want him there.

I know it shall take a while for you all to be discharged and to come home, but my love, make it as short a time as possible! I wish to wrap you in my arms.

Make it soon

Love

Anne x

* * *

"Well now, all I need to say is…" she paused dramatically to her class at the end of the school day, end of term! The Christmas holidays came unusually late this year, four days before Christmas but it made for a lovely Christmas holidays… well into the New Year she couldn't wait! "…Merry Christmas." She said with a smile dropping the serious look on her face. Her class laughed. "Don't forget the decorations and presents we made, class dismissed." She said to them.

"Merry Christmas Mrs Blythe."

"Merry Christmas."

"Happy Christmas Mrs Blythe!"

"Merry Christmas!"

Came the chorus' of school children as they left the classroom.

"Oh Fred, run along with Andrews will you, tell your mother I'll be a few minutes late, I have a few things I need to tie up here." She said.

"Sure thing Aunt Anne." He said almost skipping out the classroom.

Anne sighed as he left the room leaving her alone and silent for a moment, she sighed. A term fulfilled. She had a great deal amount of satisfaction from her teaching, you could make no mistake about that! She was glad she had such a vocation.

She started to walk towards the chalkboard which had on the diagram for pi with the last two digits missing. So wrapped up in her own thoughts she didn't hear the other person enter the room as she reached for the eraser a voice came from behind.

"3.14159." He told her. She stopped, stunned and suddenly daring not to turn around. She knew that voice, she would know that voice anywhere. The way he spoke sent vibrations through her like nothing else did thrilling every part of her. Maybe it was her imagination? If she turned around she would only be disappointed to find the empty classroom, so she, shaking to the core took the eraser and started to wipe the board. "Wait." The voice said again, "Aren't you going to tell me if I'm right?" he said she heard his footsteps for a couple of steps, her heart pounding like her head. "The next two digits of pi are 5 and 9 yes?"

"Yes." She whispered not looking still. "You are right." She told him.

"I'm glad I've been a little out of practice lately." He said gently.

She nodded her head. "Understandably. The war had you and every other man preoccupied."

"So preoccupied I've forgotten how to get my wife's attention apparently." They paused there was silence between them which prevailed for at least ten seconds, Anne didn't know exactly how long. "Don't you want to see me love?" he asked her.

Her heart pounded in her chest. "It's not that." She whispered again. "If I look the dream will shatter, you won't be there and my imagination will have played a cruel trick on me again."

There was a silence before she heard him whisper to her "Anne."

"Like when I wake from my sleep I can feel you next to me, then I reach and you aren't there." She told him.

There was another silence. "Look at me, please?" He asked her softly.

She put the eraser down and closed her eyes for a moment before she turned round slowly her breath bated. She remained still as she clasped her eyes on him for the first time in over 15 months.

The first thing she saw was his eyes. Those beautiful orbs penetrated her like nothing else could. He looked older. Much older than he should, he left looking quite young, but she noticed his shave was rough his hair not kept like he liked to keep it. He looked worn.

He sighed, "Does my appearance disappoint?" He asked her. "Not exactly the man you married I know."

"You will never disappoint me." She said to him. "Gil." She said with a tear in her eye, she then ran up the isle him meeting her next to his old desk, they embraced closely holding each other close.

"My sweetheart." He whispered to her pulling her in closer as he heard her start to sob in his arms his own eyes watering in tears.

"My love." She cried as she pulled back and kissed him on his lips. "You're real." She whispered.

"I'm real." He agreed.

"You're here." She said her tears now fully falling down her face.

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead "I'm right here." He said to her before he returned to her lips kissing her deeply he rested her on his old desk. Their movement so in sync she barely noticed his hand travelling up her leg as she wrapped her legs around him.

"Make love to me Gil." She whispered.

* * *

Ten minutes later their bodies shook in delight against each other, they remained close. They couldn't bare to move but knew they would have to. He pulled back and looked into her eye. "Well I never expected to do that on my old school desk." He said with a joking glint in her eyes. "And to think, I thought I had already immortalised our love on this desk."

"Oh?" she asked confused.

They finally separated as he lifted her away from the desk as they allowed their clothes to return to modesty. Once she was off the desk he lifted it up to show the underside where the books were stored. And there under the latch were GB + AS scratched into the wood.

"How have I never seen that! I was a teacher here for two year then again over the last 11 months!"

He laughed. "I know where a teacher would look, You think me stupid enough to get caught?" he smiled holding her close to him again. " I put it there when I was 16 and love sick." He grinned. "Didn't think back then I would get to do that to you on it…" he said with a blush, "might not have bothered defacing the desk." He said with a chuckle.

"No." She said quietly. "This is my classroom!" she said shocked at her own actions. "What if someone had come in?!" she exclaimed.

He laughed "I think they were too busy looking forward to Christmas and their time off to come back here." There was a silence for a moment. "Merry Christmas Anne." He said softly. "I don't have anything for a gift but will I do?" he asked her.

"I can't think of a better present." She said with a smile to him as they kissed again. "Ermmm… Gillll…" she murmured as he held her close to him again. "Gil…" she reiterated coming back down to earth. "Oh no!" she exclaimed suddenly running to her clothes peg and ramping her coat on as quickly as possible grabbing the key to the schoolhouse. "Gilbert!" she said grabbing his hand and pulling him quickly out the school locking it behind them.

* * *

"Diana!" She called as she ran into the house. Diana was quick to greet her in the corridor at Green gables. "I'm so sorry I'm so late its just…" she trailed.

"Its alright, I assumed you would be when Gilbert dropped by the house looking for you." Diana said.

Anne looked to Gilbert then to Diana. "Did he see…?" she trailed all of a sudden very aware Gilbert had no idea what was going on.

"No, Gilbert left his bag on the porch and ran to the school house without a second look at anyone or anything else at Green Gables once I told him where you were." Diana said with an amused face.

"Is he okay?" Anne asked.

"He's had some apple puree, which he seemed particularly pleased with to keep him on, he'll probably just need to for comfort." She said trying not to make it obvious to Gilbert what they were talking about. "He's in the parlour with Fred Jr."

Anne without a second look went speedily into the parlour.

Gilbert was confused by her actions and their words not sure what was going on, he looked to Diana "Care to enlighten me?" he asked her.

"There's someone you probably will want to meet." Diana said with a smile. He looked confused and headed to the door of the parlour himself.

He came into the room with his normal pace although a bit confused. He quickly went from quite a fast pace to slowing right down at the sight he saw before him.

Diana came in behind swiftly getting Fred Jr and saying "We'll give you some privacy." Before she just as quickly left with Fred in her arms and shut the door behind her.

Gilbert stood dead still, looking in shock as Anne brought down her top and the child she held reached for a breast and started sucking. His breaths became fast and unpredictable his heart felt as though it was in his mouth as he saw her cooing over the baby.

"I'm sorry little man." She whispered to the babe in her arms as she put a blanket over them for modesty letting her hair come down over her shoulder and the little babe reached up playing with it "Good Aunt Di, she knew just what to give you." The baby looked at her in return with a happy expression before returning his attention to suckling.

Anne eyes finally flicked up to her shocked husband. She had no idea how to proceed, with THIS conversation with him. Most fathers had nine months to get over the shock of becoming a father. Gilbert had gone away and returned to be a father of a fully grown almost 7 month old baby. There was silence for a minute or two.

"Mine?" Gilbert finally managed to say.

"Yes." She replied simply.

"Ar… Are…" his mind couldn't think clearly he was in complete shock, he couldn't even get the words out without stuttering. "Are you sure?" Anne looked at him for a moment reproachfully then caught herself. He was in shock, of course he was. His jaw dropped slightly the tears forming in his eyes. "I left you." He said confused at his own actions. "I left you… but you were pregnant." He said the words still not fully registering in his mind. "With my child!"

"You didn't leave deliberately for that reason…" Anne said the tears forming in her own eyes. "But yes." She confirmed. "Our wedding night result." She confirmed quietly.

Gilbert was frozen completely. He had been out on a battlefield, bombs dropping left right and center, he'd be captured by the enemy, never once had he frozen. Yet right now lay a picture before him he'd often dreamed of before the war, yet he couldn't comprehend it.

"They told me they couldn't find you and told me with it there was no point in writing until they found you." She took a sigh. "When I found out about him, I kept on writing, they were never sent but I told you all about him in my letters."

He looked to her "letters?" he asked her tears again in his eyes.

"They are upstairs in the bedside draw. All of them. I told you all about the pregnancy, all about my emotions, all about his birth." She trailed the baby now shook his head next to her. "I'm not surprised." She said looking to her son "Apple puree indeed! Aunt Di will spoil you."

An objectionably sound came from his lips as she moved her clothes back over her shoulders "Alright alright, Aunt Di could never spoil you could she?" she asked him as if she was asking an adult bringing them both from under the blanket. The babe then cooed at his mother and Gilbert was still frozen in shock as he took a look at the baby for the first time.

"Him?" he asked. "A boy?" he only half asked knowing the answer but his mind had only just started to think again.

Anne smiled and nodded. "Do you want to meet him?" She asked. He slowly made his way over beside Anne sitting next to her and for the first time clasped his eyes fully on his child.

Anne had dreamed of this moment. Seeing her two boys together at last. She carefully handed him his son and her eyes flickered between the two Gilbert's.

"Your papa." She told the baby as he looked between them, the baby smiling and reached up to his father's face. Gilbert shook not only with shock but something better thrilled through him… he was shaking too with delight.

"My son." He whispered looking at him. There was no doubt! He could see his own eyes reflecting from him, big and hazel, his own curls atop the boy's head. He thought when the babe smiled further he could be looking in a mirror which reflected himself 26 years younger. He laughed and caught his breath all at once. "What's…" he trailed swallowing before continuing. "… his name… what did you call him?" he asked Anne.

Anne smiled having watched the instant connection between father and son. Baby Gilbert was quite reserved in some respects, it took him a while to accustom himself to strangers but his papa was no stranger, not really. Anne had shown him pictures every day, told him stories of his father, had even pulled some of Gilbert's old shirts out hoping the owners scent was still on them so he could sense his father. Whatever it was it seemed to have worked. "Gilbert. His name is Gilbert." She whispered.

Gilbert looked to his wife, an instant pang went to his heart. "Anne…" he whispered.

"Gilbert Matthew Blythe." She told him. Gilbert smiled at the name. "You don't mind do you?" she asked him. "The Gilbert or Matthew?"

"Both fine names." He told her and he shrugged. "if I don't say so myself." He joked, they both laughed. "I thought you might one day choose Matthew." He reflected quietly his eyes not leaving the babe in his arms. "He's beautiful Anne." He whispered. "You've done a fine job." He told her.

She smiled. "He's yours too you know, I couldn't have made him alone."

He sighed, "You've had to raise him alone these past… He must be six months by now!" Gilbert said looking at his wife.

Anne smiled "Just under 7 months, he'll be 7 months on the 27th." She confirmed.

He closed his eyes in regret. "Anne I'm so sorry. If I had known…" he trailed.

"You what? Would have stayed? And what would that have done? Made you regret not going out for King and Country?"

"I wouldn't abandon my child and my pregnant wife." He whispered. "I didn't think I would get you pregnant straight off!"

"You're the doctor! You know…"

"I know what I know… still the likelihood…" he looked at her.

"You went out there for all the right reasons Gil. He's healthy and happy, I'm healthy and happy… and you're home! Let's not concentrate on what the war did and concentrate on our little family and making each other happy."

He smiled and looked again to his son. "Well…" he trailed not sure how to proceed "…this is going to get confusing, Gilbert." He admitted. "Gilbert junior just doesn't sound right." He said with a smile. "Gilbert the second?" he questioned. "Very reginal." He said with a smile.

"No you don't." Anne laughed.

"Come on, what say you little man, Gilbert the second?" he asked him, where upon the baby cooed grinning slightly. "I knew you would see it my way." He laughed and looked at Anne. "Two against ones Anne…" he trailed.

"I didn't raise my son for seven months for him to change his name to something so ridiculous upon your return!" Anne laughed, where on baby Gilbert laughed also.

Gilbert slid his free arm around his wife and he hugged his family close to him he looked to Anne and they slowly and gently kissed. "This is perfect." He whispered upon them parting. "I can't believe how lucky I am!"

"I've dreamt of this for so long." Anne whispered back.

"Our son." He whispered again. "I can't get over it!" he told her shaking again.

Anne laughed sweetly "The afternoon I came home when I found out I was pregnant I was so stunned." She looked at her husband, "My only wish was that you were here. I wanted so badly to tell you about him." She sighed. "its when Diana and I made the plan, keep green gables going, keep ourselves going."

"Fred?!" Gilbert asked concerned all of a sudden.

Anne smiled, "Came home about a month before Gilbert was born, he's safe, injured but safe." Anne told him stroking him reassuringly. "And, their marriage stronger than ever, I'm glad to say."

Gilbert sighed knowing how tense things had been between Fred and Di before Fred had gone off to war. He'd never seen nor heard from any of the Islanders while he was away.

"So let's get this right? While I've been away you've gone through pregnancy alone, childbirth alone, supported two families, been the schoolmarm AND raised our child most the way through his first year…?"

Anne shrugged nodding her head "Diana and I really pulled together… we have quite the skill set between us." She sighed, "I can't imagine it would compare to what you've been through?" she asked him.

He sighed, "I don't want to think about it right now." He admitted quietly. "Another moment yes? I don't want to ruin this perfect moment with it."

Anne smiled admiring her husband, "okay" she agreed. "But if you need to talk…" she told him.

He nodded his head. "I will." He assured her.

* * *

Gilbert hadn't let go of his son since he held him upon meeting him. Only letting him go for his feeds then holding the babe close to him talking to him gently. Anne had snuggled beside them, finally able to allow herself to be content. For the first time in seven months she felt as though she wasn't part of a bond with her son, yet she couldn't be happier, the new bond forming was between father and son, and she was happy to admit, she wasn't part of it. She watched as the two boys seemed to have an instant connection, the same glint in their boyish eyes the same slight twist to their lips as they smiled. Some how the same laugh! The exact same laugh and inclinations in their voices, although baby Gilbert made no words the intonation was Gilbert's. No wonder she could only see Gilbert in him! It was late at night before Anne insisted they all went to bed. Gilbert laid the babe in the cot in the bedroom then finally took off his shirt and trousers and slipped into bed next to his wife. He lay behind his wife peering over her looking into the cot.

"Anne, he's perfect." He whispered snuggling closer to her. "Thank you love."

She giggled slightly. "Thank you?" she asked. "I'm his mother! Was I going to abandon him?" she laughed. "Anyway, he reminded me of you." She whispered. "ALL the time. Diana thought I was conditioning him to be like you, I really wasn't, he was just so naturally…" she smiled. "He's an angel."

He smiled. "Wait until he walks and talks and pulls on girls pigtails." He said gazing at her.

"Still perfect." She whispered. "Like his papa."

He breathed deeply "I can't get used to it… I'm a 'papa'!" he laughed.

"You will once the shock wears off." Anne smiled. "Sorry its quite the surprise isn't it?"

He smiled. "Best Christmas ever." He said with a kiss to his wife. She turned over and hugged into his chest.


End file.
